Jefferson Lives
Maumee Bay Brewing Company

I was in town for a 2 days team meeting and several of my team members wanted to get together for dinner and beer, so I suggested Maumee Bay since I had never been there. This was the first beer that I tried (a couple of the other guys followed suit as well).

This beer pours a deep, dark red color. Essentially the color of beets (vegetable), which makes sense considering that the menu states that they use beets in the brewing process. The beer is opaque but moderate carbonation is visible on the edges. The head is a purplish shade of pink and frothy, dissipating slowly to a rocky layer with a neck. 4.25/5 The aroma is very sweet with notes of caramel, toffee, toasted wheat bread, and dark stone fruit. A bit of moss and hay come through as well, providing an earthy balance to the sweetness. 4/5 The flavor is malty and sweet with a slight vegetable earthiness and bitterness. Both dates and raisins lightly come through as undertones along with just a bit of sweetness from the beets. Herbal hops shine through on the back half and provide a light bitter finish with light lingering bitterness. 3.75/5 This is a smooth and creamy beer that features a light carbonation tickle up front and a medium body. There is a very light dryness on the very back of the mouth that lingers lightly after swallowing. 4/5 This is a very interesting beer and one that I was a bit apprehensive about trying, but I am very glad that I did. It is very well balanced between sweet and bitter and the beets, although they do provide a quirky vegetable note, give off a good bit of sweetness that complements the rest of the normal ingredients. 4/5

This beer is so red that the foamy head is even colored. It looks very artificial. Like food coloring. I did think it tasted pretty good though. Very malty. Lots of caramel malts flavor. A decent red ale